Within The Shadows
by Buick Regal Racecar 56
Summary: He thought he'd killed her- that is, until she reappeared in his life under the control of Nightmare. Now Meta Knight must seperate the past from the present and do what he can to defeat her before it's too late.
1. Trailer

Within The Shadows- Trailer

_Well, obviously I'm not a normal writer for SSB. But here I am- first non-Cars centered story in forever. Anyways, as you can see, the name's Buick Regal Racecar 56 (although ya'll can call me Kina or BRR56) and I'm shooting at you the trailer to my first SSBB story. Unfortunately, it's still being written (on good, old fashioned paper) so until then, ya'll will have to live with this trailer. When the real story comes out, I'll take the trailer down. Now, before I ruin too much for you, here's the trailer to Within The Shadows!_

_Everything was going perfect at the SSB Mansion..._

Sonic: So- who wants to do a Guitar Hero tournament?

_And everyone was happy..._

Link: Be right back- gotta put something in my room.

_That is, until a mysterious figure appears out of nowhere and attacks Link._

???: So- the Hero of Time is a little slow to figure things out.

_From the creator of the Life Is A Highway Trilogy comes a new story of mystery..._

Meta Knight: She may return to finish what she's begun, if it is who I believe it to be.

_Deception..._

Nightmare: Your final mission is the one you've been anticipating. You will kill Meta Knight.

_Old secrets..._

Kirby: Meta Knight, how do you know her?!?

_And long lost relationships._

Nightmare: You might not want to let your personal feelings get in the way, Meta Knight.

Meta Knight: I never do Nightmare.

_Starring Meta Knight..._

Meta Knight: You never make things easy, do you?

Nightmare: It'd be no fun if it were easy.

_Link..._

Link: Great- now some psycho chick is attacking all the swordsmen in the mansion.

Meta Knight: That psycho chick used to be my girlfriend.

Zelda: That's it- you're crazy.

_And Kirby._

Kirby: This is why sometimes you shouldn't keep your past hidden. Especially if crazy British chicks who are as narcissistic as you and twice as strong are gonna try to kill us!

Meta Knight: Hey, I'm not narcissistic!

_Co-starring as the bad guy, Nightmare..._

Nightmare: Do not forget to make sure you show just how strong you really are. And do not forget that you were created to destroy Meta Knight.

_And introducing Hally Knight._

Hally: Show's over, Meta Knight. This time, I'll be the one laughing as you lay dying.

Meta Knight: And I thought Nightmare was cruel.

_Presenting Within The Shadows._

Zelda: Why can't this all be a nightmare?

Meta Knight: Please... leave the word nightmare out of your sentences. I'm already freaking out enough as it is.

_Coming sometime 2009 to a near you._

_Okay, so how's it look? Yes, it's got a heavily influenced Kirby side to it- I just had to put Nightmare into the mix. And, for all you Kirby experts, you'll know Hally's definitely not a canon character. Instead, she's mah OC. And she's basically what the Halberd would look like if turned into a puffball much like Kirby or Meta Knight. She's also very much like Meta Knight in the respect that (according to all these Kirby fanfictions I've read) she's originally created by Nightmare. However, you'll learn the whole story about that in the story. But Hally and Meta Knight do have a past together, and it hasn't always been bad. Anyways, I'm currently working on the story, but I promise you it will be up sometime this year (unless my writer's block gets the better of me and I trash it). Until I do get it completed, enjoy! And please- as this is my first SSB fanfiction, no flames. All flames will be used as projectiles to destroy Nightmare._

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	2. The Dark Beginning

Chapter 1- The Dark Beginning

_Argh! I swear, I told myself for the past two Wednesdays that I would get this thing up, but I've been to lazy to motivate myself. But, I dunno why I'm actually feeling the motivation now to do this, but maybe it's from reading The Brawl Chronicles updates earlier... So far, three reviewers- just for the trailer!- and two of the three were good. So, hopefully this will be as enjoyable as you hope it to be. I must tell you- the story in no way starts slow- it actually jumps right into the action, as you are about to see..._

Link was walking through the hallway of the SSB Mansion, heading to his room to put something up. It had been four months since the beginning of the Brawl Tournament, and everyone was used to the others by now. The hallway was empty except for him- the rest of the Smashers were busy having a huge Guitar Hero tournament in the huge Smash Lounge- and so far, the three Dreamlanders were owning everyone else's butts. However, Link lost that thought when the lights suddenly went out. The Hylian hero stopped, slightly surprised.

"Hello?" he called. There was no answer; just the faint sounds of distant cheering and music from the lounge. No other sound was made, and even though he knew it was possibly a prank by one of the sneakier residents of the mansion, he put his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword.

"Anyone there?" he said. This time, an eery chuckly echoed through the hallway. He suddenly yelped in pain as a wound was opened on his left shoulder. In front of him now was the silhouette of a figure, shaped very much like Meta Knight or Kirby, with two glowing red eyes.

"So, the Hero of Time is a little slow to figure things out," the figure said. Link was surprised- whoever it was not only sounded British, but also sounded like a girl. And captured in the eery tone that implied a smirk was a trace of pure evil.

"You cheated- turning the lights off gives you an unfair advantage," he said, but still not letting his guard down. There was another chuckle.

"Yes, maybe so- but I am not to be blamed for the fact that you were unprepared," she said. Then, without further warning, she attacked. Link blocked, then quickly sidestepped, barely avoiding her other attack. For awhile, they fought, Link mainly dodging and the girl- who was now flying with what looked like bat wings- mainly attacking. However, she eventually flew back and landed softly on the floor.

"You fight well- but you still underestimate moves quite often. That's not a mistake you want to make with me darling. However, you want get the chance to see just what I can really do," she said before disappearing. The lights flickered several times before coming back on. The blood was staining his green tunic, and he was beginning to feel light-headed. The last thing he heard before passing out was a voice calling his name...

_WOW!!! How'd ya'll like that? Short, I know, but on paper it looks so much longer. And yes, that other person is the bad guy, Hally. Or, Demon Hally. You'll see why she gets that full title later. But anyways, I'll try and have the next chapter out soon, because I really like this story and it's really good, and you'll really like it, I hope. So, enjoy!_

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	3. Thoughts

Chapter 2- Thoughts

_Well- I never thought I'd update this early, considering my update yesterday. But, I just feel like it. And I'm bored. Besides, this chapter introduces Nightmare, Meta Knight, Kirby, and also has a bit more of Hally in it. Plus, for all you Link fans, more Link. That way it doesn't turn into just a Kirby story. Otherwise, no one but the Kirby characters would be mentioned. And my brother likes Legend of Zelda, so you'll see him used a lot alongside the Kirby characters if I do other stories. Personally, Sheik's ten times cooler, but she's a complicated character to put into a story. And plus, she's not a swordfighter, so she honestly wouldn't fit into this story. Anyways, personal ramblings not withholding, I believe I should get on to what you guys actually came here for- the story!_

"Wow- you're lucky you're okay," said Kirby. Link was back out of the infirmary with about fifty stitches in the gash on his shoulder. However, he was out of the Brawls for a few days until his arm got better.

"Yeah- at least it wasn't any worse. This person just didn't seem to want to give up. That normally wouldn't be so bad, but it was a girl for pete's sake!" said Link.

"Hey, you're not the only one who's gotten their butt kicked by a girl. Outside of this tournament, I'm pretty sure several others have. But- never someone so much like you described," said Kirby.

"The only thing is she looked a lot like Meta Knight- and despite the fact that she was mainly flying, her style of fighting was similar. That's the part that's really weird- it's almost as if it could have been him. But it wasn't," said Link. Kirby shrugged, which looked kinda weird considering his shape.

"I dunno. There's lots of people throughout our world, but I've never heard of anyone who had the same fighting style as Meta Knight. It's not really common to find someone like that," said Kirby.

WTS

Meta Knight had caught most of the conversation between Link and Kirby. From all that he'd heard that Link knew about this girl, she sounded way too familiar for it to be just an eery coincidence.

_"Please, you can't do this- it's not what you want to do! My Meta Knight wouldn't be doing this!"_

He began walking away, deep in thought. That had been so long ago- he'd tried to forget about her, figuring she was gone for good. He'd never told anyone about her- it had never seemed relevant, at least until now. Unfortunately, he'd also pushed Nightmare's threats about finding a way to destroy him away, knowing that there was no way possible Nightmare could. He wouldn't risk his own life against his second strongest demon beast. While Meta Knight was second strongest and Hally was the strongest, there was one way she was weaker- she cared too much. To save others, she'd do anything, even if it meant becoming what she didn't want to be.

_**"I'm afraid your Meta Knight no longer exists, sweetheart. Because I really don't mind eliminating you, Hally Knight. And I will."**_

__She'd been his last true friend after Garlude and Jecra were gone, although she'd had a much harder time losing them than he had. They'd all been good friends, although Meta and Hally had made a much better team than anyone had thought. They'd fought together all the time, sharing almost the same style of fighting, and knowing basically what the other would do before they did it. Even considering the fact that Hally was much faster and much stronger than him, there were things Meta Knight was better at- and that balanced everything out.

_"The only way you'll eliminate me is if you figure out a way to beat someone who's faster and stronger than you. Think you can do that?"_

However, when he'd gone to Dreamland, he'd pushed aside the old memories and tried to move on, believing her to be dead. It wasn't hard to believe that. Oh sure- there were all the weird happenings, like Marx being rescued by a mysterious person after being defeated by Kirby, or where Galactic Knight ended up- but he never thought of her, although it certainly would have been her style to help both of them. Sure Marx was pretty much insane and was bent on ruling the world, but Hally had a side that could certainly make even the most confident people doubt themselves. It wasn't only that that made him think she'd saved them either- it was the fact that they'd disappeared and no one knew where they went.

_**"Ah, Hally- you forget, you might be stronger, and you may be faster, but I can outsmart you any day."**_

__There was no way it was a coincidence- obviously, Hally was alive, and Nightmare was using her original form to defeat Meta Knight. But first, he wanted to prove just how strong she was. And considering she had never fought with all her ability, even Meta Knight was doubtful as to how he'd ever be able to beat her.

_"Go ahead and try- because I certainly won't be losi- AHHHHHHHH!!!!"_

_**"Come on Hal- didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful of becoming overconfident? And as to the fact that you believed I wouldn't do this, I've got one thing to say- nothing lasts forever, not even love. Better get used to it sweetheart- life ain't always fair."**_

WTS

Nightmare smirked as he watched Meta Knight trying to figure this out. Beside him stood a puffball that anyone would have thought resembled the Halberd. The truth was the Halberd resembled her- she'd helped Meta Knight design it. However, that had been years before, back when her demon side had not been in control. Now a torn and ragged black cape replaced her normal purple with silver trim one, and black gloves replaced white gloves. Instead of silver shoes, she wore blood red ones and had a blood red headband to match. Her eyes were even brighter red than normal- after all, it was her natural eye color, and under her demon side's control, they were much brighter.

"So, Meta Knight has realized it must be you. But it doesn't matter. You did very well with the Hero of Time- I'd almost forgotten how well a fighter you were," said Nightmare. Hally just smirked under her mask- he truthfully hadn't forgotten. She knew that.

"Thank you. It was truthfully no problem," she said. The tone of her voice hinted she wanted to add that it'd been too easy. Nightmare knew she wished she didn't have to fight people who were that much lower than her skillwise. However, he was trying to prove a point to Meta Knight that he didn't know how strong she truthfully was.

"I believe your next assignment will be no problem as well. You'll be after Marth, a prince. Don't be so quick to judge based on appearance- he's a quick fighter. And you'll be using a bit more of your power than before as well," said Nightmare.

"As you wish, sir Nightmare," she said, sounding slightly excited. Nightmare chuckled and once again looked at the viewscreen thing he used to see anything he wanted to see. It was still focused on Meta Knight.

"I believe he'll be in for a nightmare soon enough. It won't be as easy as he believes."

_Whoa- this is ten times different from the original written version of this chapter. Originally, Link was talking to both Kirby and Meta Knight, and then Meta Knight left. And then you had the conversation between Hally and Nightmare. However, I wanted to change it up because I needed a bit more of Meta Knight's point of view and I wanted to show some of the past as well. By the way, the italics are lines that are from when Meta Knight was being controlled by Nightmare and almost killed Hally. The plain italics, like this, are Hally's lines, while the italic bold lines are Meta Knight's. And yes- Marx and Galactic Knight do have a later appearance in this story, albeit brief- meaning one chapter. And originally for the thing between Hally and Nightmare, I had it as more or less Hally was completely being controlled, like she had no thoughts on anything else or something like that. The version here is much better. Also, she didn't talk in the original version. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Oh, and one more thing. If you've ever heard the song 'Bring Me To Life' by Evanescence, I believe that can be called the sort of theme song for this story. Or at least, Hally's theme song. Listen to it or read the lyrics, and you'll later see how Hally seems to fit that song. Anyways, gotta jet!_

_-Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	4. Prince Vs Demon

Chapter 3- Prince Vs. Demon

_Well, looks like I have a system now- I'll update a chapter on Saturdays and hopefully on Sundays, and then that'll be my pattern from here on out! Now of course, we have the chapter with more Hally, a new OC, and a very bad characterization of Marth. Because- I can't get Marth's personality right. I've never played Fire Emblem, much less heard of it, and playing Brawl really doesn't help get a solid thing down (plus the fact that I used to think he was a girl doesn't help either). But- this isn't about Marth, it's about Hally. And her awesome double personality disorder. And a defective Wolfwrath. So, on with the chapter._

It was another quiet day at the SSB Mansion. Three days had passed since Link had been attacked, and although he insisted he was fine, Master Hand had requested he rest for just a few more days. Meta Knight was acting more mysterious than ever, and no one knew why. Not even Kirby had a , of course, knew none of this as she quietly snuck through the mansion, wishing that these people didn't like light so much. And also wishing that the prince she was looking for would be easy to find. As she quickly went along, she was vaguely aware of the soft pawprints following her along. Nightmare had not been against her taking along her Wolfwrath companion, Nazuri. He wouldn't help her with the attack, but she felt much better having someone with her. Nazuri had been her so called 'best friend' since she'd started at Nightmare Enterprises; her past before that seemed to no longer exist, except in very mysterious dreams that she often had.

"Hally, do you even know where this Marth guy is?" questioned Nazuri. To any non demon beast, he would have sounded as if just growling. To her as well as Nightmare's other creations, he spoke.

"No- and shut up before someone hears us," she hissed, hoping no one was around. The Wolfwrath rolled his eyes.

"You're way too overdramatic," he said quietly. She glared at him, then listened as she heard soft footsteps somewhere down the hallway. She'd gotten very good at being able to tell quite a few details about a person just by listening to their footsteps- and from what she was hearing, it sounded like royalty. And definitely a guy- which limited it down to Marth, Ganondorf, and King Dedede. It definitely wasn't Ganondorf- there was no way it was him. He was much taller, and much bigger. Then of course was Dedede- she almost laughed considering him trying to walk lightly. So no, the self proclaimed King of Dreamland was out. Which left Marth. She grinned.

"It's definitely him. Stay here, and get the lights. I'll be back in a bit," she said. Nazuri, who had also been listening closely, shook his head slightly as she seemed to disappear.

"Sometimes I think you're crazy Hally," he muttered slightly. Then he hit the lights.

WTS

The lights turned off, and Marth stopeed. Either they were having random power outages, or something similar to what had befallen Link was about to happen to him. "So, the prince doesn't have a clue as to what's going on. No wonder I love this job so much," came an ominously feminine British voice. His eyes widened- this was what had happened to Link. He quickly pulled out his sword.

"Link never said you could read minds," he said, stalling slightly. He really did not want to fight someone who could beat Link so easily.

"I can't- but I am really good at reading emotions in people," she said. The next thing he knew, a large gash had been opened on his left shoulder, and he yelled. He then struck out with his sword, and there was a sound of metal hitting metal. He continued fighting, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, until eventually another blow landed on his cheek. He yelped- and then two things happened. His last unfinished strike landed on the other's mask, and Ike and Meta Knight came running in. The other's mask fell off, and she landed a few feet away, disbelief clearly showing on her face.

WTS

Ike had gone over to check the now unconscious Marth, and Meta Knight ended up skidding to a stop right in front of the girl. He was shocked- everything he'd thought had turned out to be true. She looked almost the same as the last time, except for a jagged scar down the right side of her face and two small fangs. For a minute, she looked almost as shocked to see him, and then she disappeared. Meta Knight stood in silence for a split second more, then quickly teleported to the Halberd.

WTS

"Nightmare's gonna be so pissed," snickered Nazuri.

"Can it, Nazuri. I'm not in the mood for your stupidity," growled Hally. One of Nightmare's rules that she didn't disagree with (and yes, there were a few that she thought were incredibly retarded, yet she said nothing about) was that she was not to lose her mask and be seen by anyone, unless it were someone she was meant to kill. And Nightmare did not like these rules being broken (even the stupid ones)...

"Lighten up a little- it's not like he's gonna destroy you. You're like, the best demon beast he's got," said Nazuri, trying to cheer her up. She stopped for a second. For a moment, some sort of vague image had flashed into her mind of a time before Nightmare. Meta Knight had been there, and so had two other people. Yet- she couldn't really remember it.

"But I'm something more too- and I don't remember who I am. I don't think I'm just a demon beast, Nazuri," she said, sounding distant. Nazuri, who was looking at her strangely, had no time to reply as another puffball came up. This one was created specifically to be a messenger, hence her name, Messenger. But she was called Messe for short.

"Miss Hally, Master Nightmare be wishin' to see you right away," said Messe. Hally looked ready to kill the nearest person, but stalked off to see what Nightmare was going to yell at her about. Messe and Nazuri both stared after her.

"She seems upset," commented Messe.

"You have no idea," said Nazuri, before he too walked off. Hally's short moment before Messe had arrived had really worried him- he'd have to tell Nightmare about that.

_Well, here it is, a new chapter! YAY! However, a few important details. For the royalty peeps, I forgot Bowser. How could I forget the King of Koopas? Wow, I'm stupid sometimes. I was only thinking of the few I could get my mind on. And also, we have Nazuri. Yes, Wolfwraths are demon beasts from Kirby. They are cool, as I believe. However, Nazuri is a Wolfwrath, but there are differences. He's much smaller than a normal Wolfwrath (think about the size of a normal wolf, so it doesn't dwarf Hally too much) and there is his other thing of course. You know how he seems concerned about Hally's whole moment where she's having that weird memory of her and Meta Knight and the two others? Well, this is because after Nightmare started controlling her, he figured that it'd be best to have someone watch her and make sure she didn't start having those kinds of memories. And that's when he thought of Nazuri. You see, Nazuri was created about the time Hally was, so they basically 'grew up' together. But when Hally left Nightmare the first time, Nazuri had to continue without her. So Nightmare has Nazuri as a sort of guardian for her, in hopes she won't betray him again. Oh, and here's a challenge for the Kirby fans. The two other people Hally remembered with Meta Knight are actually real Kirby anime characters. Think of Meta Knight's two former friends who both died long before the Kirby anime show, and whoever gets it gets an honorable mention in the next chapter. Okay, now- Messe is pronounced Me-say. Yeah- she should have a better name. This chapter was slightly slow, but... now Meta Knight knows it's Hally. So, until tomorrow (hopefully...)_

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	5. Within The Shadows

Chapter 4- Within The Shadows

_Okay, if I ever slack off that much again and don't update this, you guys feel free to message me and ask me why I'm not updating. I really wanted to update, but I just felt too lazy to do anything… So, this is the new chapter- I actually rewrote it from its original version, which I hated. But, more about that later- let's get to the chapter._

"How can you not help her? She's our friend, and all you can say is 'it's not time to help her'?!?" yelled the small figure. He would have been familiar to any Dreamland resident, what with his red and blue jester hat and red bow tie. The only difference was that he was semi-transparent; of course, he also had wings and fangs.

"Calm down kid. She can only do so much," said another semi-transparent figure. This one would have been more familiar to Meta Knight, what with white angel-style wings and a mask that had a weird design. The human girl who was wearing a black cloak smiled softly. This was the only one of her many forms that the two had seen.

"Galactic Knight is right Marx. Hally's too far lost to her dark side for me to do anything," she said. Marx sighed, leaning against the wall- which was actually a challenge when you're not really there.

"Why did this have to happen to her of all people?" he said.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people. There's darkness in us all, and that darkness is sometimes too powerful for us to control. I know it's tough for you to see Hally like this, but there's nothing I can do," said the girl.

"You're Nightmare's older sister- you should be able to do something," said Marx.

"I've tried. He wouldn't listen when I told him that power isn't the best thing, and besides, his power is too much for my shadow magic to go against. It'll take something far more powerful than just shadow magic to get Hally to return to normal," said the girl.

_Okay, I had no idea that this chapter would be so friggin' short. On paper it looked longer, but- I forgot how short things look when typed. So anyways- here's a few news updates. This chapter does go off the normal plot and have Marx and Galactic Knight. The girl, who we now know is Nightmare's older sister, comes in later in this story, and she plays a bigger part then. I'm trying to write a sequel to this story, and she may or may not appear in that. Also, if you're wondering why Galactic Knight and Marx are 'semi-transparent', they're actually ghosts. The reason? That, my friends, is actually part of the next chapter, so I cannot give it away yet. And I don't know a lot about Nightmare, so all stuff about his sister and other forms and crap is my making. Yeah. Until next time, guys. _

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	6. Shattered

Chapter 5- Shattered

_I'm still sorry for waiting so long to update you guys. And now that I really want to write a sequel to this, I guess I will try to finish it. Okay, make that I will finish it. Ya'll know I updated yesterday- I'm updating today as well. This chapter is longer than the last (on real paper it's about three and a half pages) and it is mainly all about Hally. Now, this chapter is a little confusing, as it kinda switches to the Norman Osborne thing from Spiderman where he's talking to himself in the mirror (first movie). Hally does that, and I refer to the version I'm mainly using as Demon Hally at that point. We also have a flashback. And I'm totally sorry about not updating for so long._

Hally glanced in the mirror as she passed it to get another mask. However, she stopped and went back to see a completely different image of her. Instead of the black and red outfit that made her seem so dark, this image had a light blue headband, white gloves, a neat purple cape with silver trim, and silver knight shoes.

"You're making a mistake following Nightmare like this," said Hally quietly. Demon Hally just rolled her eyes.

"What are you trying to do, make me feel guilty? Face it sweetheart, that ain't gonna happen," snapped Demon Hally.

"I know you were made by Nightmare, but do you really think that killing things all the time is the answer? He's using you- as soon as you've done everything he wants you to do, he'll kill you," said Hally.

"You're just some weird part of my mind. I don't have to listen to you," said Demon Hally.

"Fine- don't listen. But just so you know, you haven't always been the evil little demon who killed Marx and Galactic Knight. You haven't always done every dark thing he's told you to do. There was a time when you were against Nightmare, and you know it. You've just been made to forget it," said Hally.

"Sounds like even if I did manage to break free of Nightmare's power, it sounds like I'd go back to a life where I spent more time running than living and that I'd have no friends. Why would I go back?" retorted Demon Hally.

"You would have someone- Meta Knight. Nightmare wants you to kill him, but you used to love him. That was before you lost yourself to this again," said Hally.

"Why don't you just leave me alone already?" snapped Demon Hally. Hally sighed, looking away.

"I suppose you really are lost," she said quietly. Demon Hally had faced away from the mirror at some point; now she looked back and it showed her normal image. Except, she looked confused. _Who am I really, a demon beast or a good guy? Ever since I came here, I've been trying to figure out why I don't always trust myself with who I am. Could she really be who I am, or is all just my mind playing tricks on me?_

_-Past-_

"Make your choice, Hally. Either join me and your friends live, and your friends might live, or watch as your friends die," said Nightmare. Hally stole a glance at her only two friends in the world at the moment. At one point, she'd saved both their lives- Marx's after he got his butt kicked by Kirby and Galactic Knight's after he got his butt kicked by Meta Knight.

"Don't do it Hally. We'll be fine," said Galactic Knight. Even so, he sounded slightly doubtful.

"Yeah- we'll be fine Hal," agreed Marx, shooting off his normal lopsided grin. Hally looked from Nightmare to them. She knew Nightmare would kill them if she didn't agree, and even if she did join him, he'd have her kill them. She sighed, trying not to cry.

"I'll do it Nightmare," she said. Nightmare grinned.

"You made the right choice Hally," he said.

WTS

Marx and Galactic Knight could only look on in disbelief. This was their friend, the girl who'd saved their lives. The ones who'd been keeping them from escaping had stepped back, but Marx and Galactic were too stunned to move. It seemed so weird that this was happening, but though Marx wished it were a dream, he knew it was all too real.

"What is it you wish me to do Nightmare?" said Hally, her normal British accent now sounding eerily evil. Nightmare smirked.

"The first thing I want you to do is kill Marx and Galactic Knight. They have no use for their lives- they'd only warn Meta Knight and then this whole idea would be useless," he said. Marx just bit his lip.

"Marx, you get out of here. I'll try to hold her off," said Galactic Knight. Marx didn't need to be told twice- he took off. However, as he was trying to get away, he tripped over something and crashed into the wall. He winced slightly before getting up. That's when he noticed how eerily quiet it was. He had a bad feeling about this. That's when Hally appeared out of nowhere, holding the familiar sword Celestia at her side. The only difference was it now had a crimson stain on it, and Marx knew that he definitely wouldn't be seeing Galactic Knight again.

"Thought you could escape, did you?" she said, smirking. He stepped back.

"You're a monster, Hally," Marx said.

"Marx, you're so naïve. Monster's not quite the word I'd use. But soon, you'll have no need for words," she said. She was so different from the very cheerful girl that Marx had known since she'd saved his life.

"Come on Hally, you don't want to do this," he said desperately.

"On the contrary Marx, I do," she said, smirking. There was no one to help him now, and he knew that she could easily escape any of his normal attacks.

"You're not supposed to be like this," he said.

"That's where you're wrong," she said. With one swift move, she sliced with the sword and hit Marx, leaving a huge gash down one side of his face. He stumbled back, falling on the wall.

"Just so you know Marx, nothing lasts forever," she said.

"You think… Nighmare's gonna keep you alive… forever?" Marx said, stumbling a bit. He had to blink a bit to keep everything from getting all out of focus, and he was fading fast. She just snickered.

"At least I'll last longer than you," she said.

"One day… you're really gonna… regret… the demon you've… become," he said quietly.

"I don't think that's possible, Marx," she said. Then she stabbed him one more time, and everything faded.

_Yes, awesomeness. Poor Marx and Galactic- they're dead. But, they ain't gone. Naw, they're ghosts. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon as well. Nothing else to say. Until next time._

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	7. Underestimated

Chapter 6- Underestimated

_Well, obviously it's been awhile. It's been way too long in fact. I think the last time I updated was during my writing class last spring- and even then, I had a friend upload the chapter for me. Then you got the author's note in the summer- and well, I swore I was not giving up on this story. However, to be quite honest, I was about to give up on it- I mean, I sort of drifted away from Kirby and Super Smash Brothers over the summer, and I didn't have my laptop, I lost the story in my messy room, and well, I just sorta lost interest in the story in general. But, this update is all because of one of my reviewers, and a 'fan' of this story. Mind Seeker has been a very interested reader since the trailer- which I thought wasn't too good. She has been reviewing since the beginning, and is probably the best reviewer I've had since one of my Cars fans, and now my best friend. It's thanks to a message from her that this story is even being dusted off and brought back. Sorry for the five month gap between updates- I swear I will try my best to get more updated! Anywho, let's get on with the newest update, shall we?_

Meta Knight had warned him to be careful, and Ike only semi-disreguarded it. With some psychotic bat freak bent on beating up all the swordsmen in the mansion, he couldn't afford to disreguard the warning. That's when the lights went off- he stopped.

"I know you're there. And respectable warriors don't fight in the dark," he called.

"Now, Ike, let's be logical here- if the lights were on, I'd have no place to hide." The heavily accented voice called back, and Ike still could not tell where the 'person' was at- however, he thought he saw to red dots that could have been eyes.

"And that gives you an unfair advantage- which also makes you a coward and a cheater," he said in reply. It was quiet for a second.

"Fine- I'll play by your rules mercenary. But just as well, don't expect a fair fight. I'm not one to lose," said the voice. The lights came back on, and he saw a creature that fit the description Meta Knight had given and that he'd seen after Marth had been attacked- however, this time she had the eerily similar mask that looked so much like the front of the Halberd. And, she was faster than he suspected, as she suddenly attacked and left a gash on his left arm. On the return attack however, he ended up hitting the small warrior with the flat side of the sword, knocking her into the wall and most probably stunning her.

"Still thinking you're gonna win?" he asked, ignoring the stinging in his own arm. She shook herself slightly and glared.

"You're too arrogant, mercenary," she snapped. The next second, he was dodging a furious flurry of attacks. Then her sword caught him again, this time on the right side of his face. While jumping back to avoid more blows, he managed to block her and knock her silver-gold sword from her hand. He quickly picked it up as she backed away. She seemed to be trying to figure out what exactly _he_ was thinking, and he had an idea.

"What're you doing?" she asked, still slowly hovering back. He didn't reply with words- instead, he used her sword to pin her to the wall by her left arm. She yelped, her bat wings disappearing back under her cape. Some blood from her arm slowly began trailing down the wall.

"Not so strong now, are you?" asked Ike.

"Watch it blue hair- if I weren't pinned to this damned wall, you'd be sushi by now," she snapped menacingly.

"Sure," he said, smirking slightly. She growled, then almost quicker than he could see pulled out a dagger from who knows where and threw it at him, hitting him in the right hand. While he was busy worrying about that, she struggled to remove her sword from her arm. She finally managed to free herself and fell to the ground. She whimpered slightly before getting up and quickly disappearing.

WTS

"Hally?" came the faint gruff voice of her Wolfwrath companion. She groaned, secretly glad to hear him again.

"Nazuri, this isn't just a dream, is it?" she murmured. There was a soft chuckle.

"No Hally- this is real. You're okay, although your arm wasn't too good," he said. He helped her sit up, and she winced after realizing just how much her arm hurt.

"I bandaged your arm, Miss Hally. Stitched it up right well too. You didn't be looking so good when we found you," added in Messenger. Hally smiled slightly, even though she knew the messenger couldn't see her smile under her mask.

"Thank you Messe," said Hally.

"It was nothing, Miss Hally. After all, you be me only friend I got here besides Nazuri," said Messenger.

"You had us both worried for awhile," said Nazuri.

"Yeah well, I didn't realize that guy would be so tough to fight," commented Hally.

"By the way, hate to be telling you this now, but sir Nightmare is wanting to see you to make sure you're alright- that among other things I'm sure," said Messenger, sounding slightly regretful. Hally sighed.

"Well, guess I'll just have to see what it is now. Thank you both though. I'll be back later," said Hally. She then headed off to find Nightmare.

_Once again, as with Marth, I have no idea how to characterize Ike. But, hey, I figure he might be a bit arrogant, and probably wouldn't be too afraid to argue about the disadvantages of fighting in the dark. And of course, since Ike is a much stronger character than Link or Marth, to be honest, I decided to give him a chance to actually hurt her. Anyways, long gap between updates, so sorry... I'll try not to make the wait so long next time. I only have 5 chapters left to type, and that's 10 pages long- the last 7 pages are chapters 10, 11, and 12. And 10 and 11 have songs I wrote in them. 12 is the short one. But I swear, I have much better battle scenes in the next chapters, as well as reappearance of a certain OC from two chapters back. So, please, stick around! Hopefully I'll finish this story before 2009 is out..._

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	8. A Gentle Warning

Chapter 7- A Gentle Warning

_Okay, so last chapter was done when, Friday night? At least, for people in a certain area of the world... anyways, this will be the next chapter in the story- and certainly, the calm before the storm. The next chapter is probably gonna be very dark. Anyways, considering I really don't have much else to say, let's get on with the very short chapter in Within the Shadows. Oh, and by the way- considering the awesome name me and my brother use for Link on Windwaker, I'll be using that name for Toon Link in this story._

"You shouldn't worry so much! Just because I'm younger and smaller than you doesn't mean I can't protect myself!" Gacedu yelled angrily. The young mini-Link was currently engaged in an arguement with his older self.

"Listen Gacedu- I'm not saying you can't protect yourself. I'm just saying that you have to be careful. This Hally person has a seventy-five percent chance of going after you next, and she'll only go after you if you're alone," warned Link. Gacedu crossed his arms.

"So, I should just have someone else follow me everywhere? Good idea- guess I can just say goodbye to my privacy," snapped Gacedu. Link groaned.

"Gacedu, I'm trying to save your life here. You saw what she did to Ike, and he's probably the best swordfighter here," said Link.

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna let your doubts stand in my way," growled Gacedu, walking off angrily. Link groaned again.

"Sometimes I wonder why that kid is so stubborn," Link muttered.

WTS

"This is my next target?" Hally asked in disbelief, looking at the cat-eyed kid.

"Yes. He's a mini version of Link. I believe he goes by Gacedu," said Nightmare, carefully watching her reaction.

"But he's.... he's... well, he's a child," she said, hesitating.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, slightly amused.

"No sir- it's just, I never expected that this last one would be a child," she said hastily.

"If it's any consolation, you are permitted to eliminate him," added Nightmare. Instantly she brightened up- she'd been waiting to hear that since the beginning.

"As you wish, sir," she said. Nightmare chuckled. '_Only one more- then it's Meta Knight's turn to face her._'

_Yes, this is a very short chapter. Sorry about that. And Gacedu is pronounced Ga-sed-you. I made up the name randomly one day. I figured it'd be easier to call him by a seperate name. And anyways, looks like the mansion's in for some trouble. The only question now- will Hally really eliminate Gacedu? Or will the fact that he's just a child stop her?_

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	9. Beginning of the End

Chapter 8- Beginning of the End

_Alright, this is the chapter that will set off everything. It's truly the beginning of the end of the story, and I have to say that I am so glad to finally be typing those words! Not that I don't like this story- back when I wrote it, it was possibly the best story I'd ever done and I finished writing it in maybe three days. However, after long time gaps between updates and losing the written copy of the story in my room have made me happy just to even know that this is getting close to being done. This chapter though I'm kinda nervous to put up. You'll see why, but I have to say, this chapter is probably gonna be the darkest of the entire story- and it only gets darker from here._

A few days passed, each filled with an almost unbearable tension. Meta Knight and Link were especially dreading the next return of Hally, not what Nightmare would have her do to Gacedu, as each time she'd attacked more strongly. They didn't want to risk losing the cheery mini-Link, as that would be hard on everyone.

Gacedu, who on the other hand was as carefree as always, was bored of the overprotectedness of everyone. He figured on walk by himself to his room wouldn't kill him. As he was walking, he was playing Kirby Super Star Ultra on his specialized green Nintendo DS, and kicking Marx's little purple butt. That's when he realized how eerily quiet it was. He paused the game and looked up, just as the lights flickered slightly.

"Hello?" he said, not thinking anything was really wrong just yet. There was no response, just the lights flickering a little more.

"Ness, it's not funny," he called, hoping it was his friend. Now this was just getting creepy. However, there was a dark chuckle. His eyes widened and he quickly pulled out the mini-version of the Master Sword.

"Well, it's a clone of the Hero of Time. Yet, this time a child? That's insanely strange." The British accented voice immediately sent a chill down his spine. He turned around quickly to see a figure a few feet down the hall, and the lights flickered again.

"Leave me alone," he said desperately. Now he knew something was up.

"I don't see that as an option, kid," said the person. Then she attacked. He yelped and jumped back, swiftly blocking the first swipe with his sword. However, although he was a pretty good fighter, this girl was way better. Soon he had several gashes and cuts, and he was tiring out. All he knew was that this was definitely not gonna end well.

WTS

Hally grinned under her mask as she noticed the Star Warrior, the Hero of Time, and the Princess of Hyrule watching from behind the young sword fighter.

"You fight well for a child- however, that's not gonna save your life this time. Considering I have orders to get rid of you, I think it's time to end this," she said, smriking. The kid's eyes widened in shock.

"But I'm only-"

His sentence was never finished. She quickly sliced with her sword diagonally, cutting him in half from the left shoulder to the right hip. There was a shriek from the Princess, and the other two were staring at her in horror. Hally just smirked again, then disappeared, ignoring the blood left on her sword as well as some on her gloved hands. Now she only had one more mission that she knew would be fun- she would have to destroy Meta Knight.

_Alright, now that I've killed Toon Link, I think I'll scuttle off to my little hidey-hole and not come out. Hopefully there aren't too many Toon Link fans hiding out there somewhere. The next chapter may or may not be up today- of course, the next chapter may or may not also be pre-written. There originally was a chapter I had written after this one, but it was crap so I threw it out. Maybe I'll type a chapter up that can go after this one..._

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	10. It's Not Over

Chapter 9- It's Not Over

_Okay, so I was gonna wait until Wednesday to update again, but this chapter is literally less than a day old. I wrote it last night after figuring I may need another chapter before skipping right to the end, considering I literally jump right into the action in the next chapter. Anyways, as of right now, there is definitely a sequel being planned, and I'm definitely gonna be editing the next few chapters a lot as I type, considering they need a lot of fixing up to make them seem less rushed than they do. But anyways, without further ado, here's chapter nine, otherwise known as the BRR56 classic filler chapter!_

"It may not be over Meta Knight, but I think I have a solution," the cloaked girl said. It was sunset on the same day as the memorial service for Gacedu; despite the fact that not everyone was his best friend, there was not a single dry eye in the group. Except for Meta Knight- he hadn't gone. He was currently aboard the Halberd, the one place he knew no one else would follow- and he was talking to Nightmare's older sister, and trying hard to get the image of Hally killing Gacedu out of his mind, but it wasn't working.

"Midnight, I think we both know she's stronger than me. And we both know that in her current state, she won't hesitate to kill me," Meta Knight said.

"You've resigned yourself to what you consider certain defeat. But, sometimes defeat doesn't mean the person who loses truly loses. Think about it- when you were being controlled by Nightmare that day you almost killed her, what brought you back?" asked Midnight. Meta Knight looked at her, thinking that he may know where this was going, but wondering if she really meant it.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked. The cloaked girl brushed a strand of pure black hair from in front of an almost luminescent red eye.

"Meta Knight, think about it. The day that the GSA was destroyed, you were being controlled by Nightmare. You had to fight Hally. You ended up hurting her pretty badly- in fact, if she had not gotten help when she did, she would have died. However, you thought she died, as you only saw her alive again in this past month. The fear of losing the one person closest to you is what brought you back from the darkness," explained Midnight. That's when he realized that he'd been right about what she was saying.

"So you're saying that I have to die to defeat her?" he asked.

"That may be the only way. If she's able to be brought back from the dark hold my brother has on her now by the loss of the one person she loved the most, then your death may be her only downfall. She may be under the control of Nightmare, but inside, she's still Hally. And the side of her that was able to keep her from destroying like she was created to all these years is probably looking for a way to regain that control, to save her from the darkness that is threatening to take control of her forever," Midnight said. Meta Knight went back to staring out the huge front window of the Halberd. And it seemed Midnight was right- Hally was stronger than him, and a far better fighter. Besides giving up completely, it seemed letting her defeat him was the only way to bring her back. But, was making her go through the same thing he'd felt when he almost killed her worth it?

_Oh lookie, we finally learned the name of Nightmare's older sister! She was actually originally named Night Terror- that was back for an old Kirby story named Shadow Secrets where most of my old Kirby OCs were going to be used. But that story is old news now. Anyways, Wednesday will start the beginning of the grand finale- and maybe we'll finish this on up. After all, I started this story in February, and now I'm just getting near the end. And with a sequel most certainly on the way, it should be fun. And also, we have a semi-cliffhanger here. Now you all have to wait and see if Meta Knight really dies or not... it's oh so wonderful leaving you all wondering ^_^_

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	11. Game Over

Chapter 10- Game Over

_So now is the start of the end of this story. And I think it's about time. I tried to get it done before the New Year began, but the fact that I procrastinate too much really doesn't help. Of course, I can use this joke- you guys get chapter 10 in 2010! Okay, that was bad. Anyways, I think I may combine this and the next chapter as they are two very similar chapters, and then I'd have one long chapter. Most of this chapter is rewritten from the original version where all the Smashers were watching. However, I didn't like it when I reread it, so now you've got this- the battle between Hally and Meta Knight alone. It's about time I got to this. Anyways, the song that is in this chapter is not mine- it's Game Over by Alexa Vega, and it's from Spy Kids 3. I've always wanted to use Game Over as a story title, because it just sounds so ominous in video games, yet so cool. So I'm finally using it as a chapter title and I found a song that matches the story! I'm just happy! So, before I kill you with details you don't want to know, let's get on with the story, shall we?_

**Game over. There are no rules in this game except win at any cost. **

One week had passed since Gacedu's death, and the tension had been high in the mansion. Most everyone just wanted this whole thing to be over with, and some people had even started saying it was actually Meta Knight's fault that this was happening. However, Meta Knight just ignored them the best he could, and also spent a lot of his time alone. He was currently sitting out beside the same lake where he'd been talking to Midnight on the day of Gacedu's memorial service, not noticing the sunset. Yet, he did notice one thing- a quick flash of light that was obviously a reflection off of some sort of metal. Quickly, he pulled out Galaxia and swiveled around just in time to block the silver-gold blade of Hally's sword Celestia.

"Maybe you aren't so slow after all, Meta Knight," came an all too familiar evil filled voice. Hally stepped back a few steps as Nightmare appeared. Meta Knight held Galaxia cautiously at his side, knowing that at any time he might be attacked.

"You'd be surprised, Nightmare," Meta Knight said. The shadowy figure chuckled.

"If you believe you're fast enough to win against Hally Knight, then you've thought wrong. It's so easy to win when you have control over half of a set, you know? And memories are so easy to erase," Nightmare said.

"Winning isn't all about being fast enough or strong enough, Nightmare. It's about destroying what needs to be destroyed," Meta Knight said. Nightmare grinned.

"Well, I'll guess we'll just have to see what wins out this time. Hally Knight, you know what to do," Nightmare commanded. Meta Knight just knew that she was grinning under the mask- the mask that she'd hardly ever worn back in the GSA.

"This could be fun," she said. Instantly, she attacked, and Meta Knight just barely avoided it in time.

**The time has come**

**Once and for all **

Meta Knight hadn't thought about her being stronger than the last time they'd fought, but it was obvious she was. Under the control of Nightmare, she seemed to be a lot more aggressive, and he was having a hard time continuing to block the strikes. Of course, it was also obvious that she was getting quite frustrated at the fact that he was still fighting.

"You just don't give up, do you?" she growled, swiftly slashing her sword again. He blocked it with his sword, then jumped back as she quickly tried attacking again.

"Real fighters don't give up," he replied, attacking while he had the chance. She easily blocked it, and once again she was attacking furiously. He could see that there wasn't going to be an easy way out of this fight. And he was beginning to think that maybe Midnight might have been right- that the only way to win was to die...

**You met your match**

**You will fall **

The sound of metal on metal echoed over the lake as they continued fighting. It was getting tougher for Meta Knight to block the slashes and swipes that were still swiftly coming at him, yet Hally didn't even seem to be running out of energy, and she was the one who was fighting so furiously. She slashed again, and this time when he tried to jump out of the way, he didn't get far enough back- the sword slashed across his mask, cutting right through the metal. The now broken mask fell to the ground, and he stepped back.

"Give up yet Meta Knight?" Hally said, sounding slightly mocking.

"Not quite yet," he said. Considering she'd stopped fighting for a moment, he took a chance to attack. And she jumped back- yet, even though she wasn't as worn out as him- or so it seemed- Galaxia ended up slashing right through her mask, cutting it in half. Her mask fell away, also in two pieces now.

**It's not as easy as you thought it'd be**

**When it's down to you versus me **

She glared back at him, red eyes blazing and the scar on the side of her face from the last fight when one of them had been under the control of Nightmare just made her look that much more menacing.

"You're going to pay for that," she snapped. He held Galaxia at his side cautiously.

"I know," he said. He knew now that he'd have to lose this- he could remember that day when he'd last seen her. She'd tried so hard to fight without letting feelings get in the way, but eventually it had caused her to stumble, and that had let him when. He'd thought he'd killed her, but instead she lived. And he hadn't known that until recently. But he remembered how when he thought he'd killed her that he'd gone back to normal. Now, he'd just have to see if that could work for her- and let what Midnight had said become true.

**Winnin' the game**

**The only rule around **

The fight began again, this time rougher and fiercer than before. Meta Knight continued blocking each attack as best he could, trying not to let Hally think that he already knew how the outcome would have to be. However, she was getting mighty frustrated at the fact that he was still continuing to fight. It was making her fight rougher, and he knew it.

"Why won't you just give up?!" she growled. At the same time, Celestia came down diagonally, a move he hadn't been expecting. It caught him just offguard enough that he wasn't able to block it, and she ended up hitting Galaxia out of his hand. He took a few steps back, taking in the surprised expression on her face, and the evil smirk on Nightmare's.

"Go on and finish him Hally. It's what you were made to do."

**No more good luck**

**Or cheers from the crowd **

Meta Knight looked back at Hally, noticing the surprised expression had changed into a dark grin, and he knew that this was about to end.

"It'd be my pleasure, Nightmare," she said. She then moved forward and stabbed him, cutting into him and going straight to his heart. He gasped slightly and took a few steps back, blood leaking from the wound. Everything was beginning to fade, and he was hoping that this would work, although everything was so unclear now that he had no idea what was real and what wsa not. However, the last thing he heard before everything went black sounded like a whisper, although it had probably been said much louder.

"Meta Knight!"

**This little game we play is gonna break us down**

**Only one of us can wear the crown **

Hally stared in disbelief at Meta Knight, not hearing anything else. She'd just killed him. Killed him as if he'd never meant nothing to her. She'd always known she'd been created to be evil, to destroy Meta Knight, but she'd never thought she really would after all she'd been through with him.

"Good job Hally. You did exactly as I had planned," Nightmare said from behind her. She turned around slowly, clenching her hand that wasn't holding Celestia.

"You made me kill him," she said, glaring darkly at him. Nightmare chuckled darkly.

"It's what you were created to do Hally. After all, you were created by me," he said.

"But that doesn't mean she has to live the rest of her life being evil, Nightmare," came a familiar female voice. Both Hally and Nightmare turned to see Midnight off to the side with Nazuri.

"You would get involved, wouldn't you, Midnight?" Nightmare growled.

"I'm always involved, Nightmare. I always have been," Midnight said.

"And you've gotten Nazuri to join you as well, I see?" Nightmare said, noticing the Wolfwrath next to her.

"I went to her myself, Nightmare. Not because she wanted me to, but because of Hally. Who do you think helped her get away from NME in the first place?" Nazuri said.

"You will pay for that betrayal Nazuri," Nightmare said darkly.

"Not if I get rid of you first, Nightmare," Hally said.

"Oh really? You'd stand up to me? You realize there's no way you're stronger than me, right?" Nightmare said, smirking.

"It's not the strength that matters Nightmare, it's fighting fair and square," growled Hally.

"Then let's see what you've got," Nightmare said.

**I play rough**

**I don't need to try **

The fight started, and Hally instantly knew she was way outpowered. Nightmare didn't use swords like her, and she was having a tough time trying to block the dark magic he did use. She was also already worn out from fighting against Meta Knight, and she was beginning to think that maybe she'd lose this. Of course, all those years that she'd trained were paying off. She was still able to dodge attacks well, but she had a feeling there was no way she'd win this. That is, until out of nowhere, Nazuri came up.

"Nazuri, you're gonna get yourself killed!" she hissed fiercly, dodging another attack. He was able to dodge it to.

"Listen, I've got to distract him somehow. Midnight said that there's some way to combine the powers of Galaxia and Celestia, and that you and Meta Knight would probably know how. It can also be done by one person. If you can do that, then you could possibly destroy Nightmare once and for all," Nazuri said. They both dodged another attack.

"You think you can keep him distracted long enough so that he won't notice?" Hally asked, worried. She really didn't want Nazuri to get hurt, considering he'd covered for her when she left NME years earlier. He was the only friend she had left really, as honestly Midnight was more of an aqquaintance, and she'd killed Marx and Galactic Knight.

"Trust me. I think I can keep Nightmare distracted. You just go and get that Galaxia sword, and do what you have to do, alright?" he said, grinning slightly. She smiled.

"Alright Nazuri. Just be careful," she said.

"Ain't I always Hally?" he replied. She rolled her eyes at the way he said that so easily, but ran off to get Galaxia anyways. She knew Nazuri could probably handle this- and she hoped he'd really be able to. There was no way she wanted to lose him as well.

**You'd like to play me**

**But the score never lies **

Hally quickly picked up Galaxia when she got over to it, trying hard not to look at Meta Knight who was just a few feet away. She was kind of uncertain as to whether this would work or not, but she knew somehow that it would. She bite her lip and crossed the two powerful swords, aiming them at Nightmare, and hoping to god she could remember what it was that needed to be said to get this to work. Yet, the words came to her almost instantly once she closed her eyes.

_"Powers unknown contained within two..."_

**When the game began you never thought you'd lose **

_"Hidden within these swords now used..."_

**But your time is up I play to bruise **

_"A power to destroy evil, to bring back the light..."_

**You look around and find you've lost your team **

_"Help us all by combining tonight..."_

**You tried your best but you ran out of steam **

_"And rid us of darkness before the next fall."_

There was a whirring sort of sound, as if a fan was starting, then a gigantic beam of light came from both the swords. The whole area was drowned out in this light, and there was no noise. Hally continued keeping her eyes closed, and holding the two swords, although it was beginning to hurt- there seemed to be a burning sensation coming from the swords, but she didn't want to let go fearing that it wouldn't work right. However, the light eventually disappeared. Everything went back to normal. Hally opened her eyes to see only Midnight blinking slightly over to the side, and Nazuri shaking his head slightly. Nightmare was nowhere to be seen. Hally just dropped the swords. Nazuri came over to her, limping slightly.

"Hey, you did it. You got rid of Nightmare," he said. She bit her lip, looking at him.

"I know. But... I couldn't save Meta Knight."

**You're all out of wishes**

**Kiss your dreams goodbye**

**The end's the same**

**It's not whether you win or lose, it's**

**How you play the game **

**Game over**

**For now **

_Woohoo, next to last chapter done! And I do believe that this may be the longest chapter in this story. It wouldn't be without the song lyrics. I made up what Hally said for the sword's powers to combine all by myself, thank you ^_^. Now, Nightmare's gone (and no, he didn't disappear just in time to save his life. Although, that would make for an interesting alternate ending...) and yet, Hally's still sad. And yes. Meta Knight's dead. I killed him. Alright, technically, it was Hally. But trust me, if you don't stick around for the last chapter, you're gonna miss a lot of things. After all, this ain't over yet you guys. Not quite._

_Buick Regal Racecar 56_


	12. The End

Chapter 11- The End

_Yo, Within the Shadows fans! This is Thunder's Girl (formerly known as Buick Regal Racecar 56) right back at ya with the next installment of Within the Shadows. You may all sue me now for taking since January to update this, but I got caught up in the love of Pokemon I have and then a bunch of other crazy things happened, so here I am! Anyways, I lost the original written version of this, and originally I also had a sequel planned and a bunch of other wacky crap like that, but considering how long I took to update this, now that's gone. But, let's just get on with the story, since that's what you all came for._

The quiet had descended upon the lake only moments earlier, but it seemed like it'd been decades. Nightmare was gone, destroyed hopefully for all time. However, Meta Knight was gone to, a fact that Hally didn't think she could learn to deal with.

"Hally?" Midnight's voice startled both Nazuri and the star warrior/demon beast, and they turned to see Midnight there.

"Yes?" Hally managed to say. She was trying to choke down the loss and pain she felt inside, but even so her red eyes were sparkling with tears.

"You once saved my life, and when you did, I told you I owed you a favor. This goes against all the rules I ever gave myself for my powers, but I'm strong enough to try to bring Meta Knight back..."

The words hung in the air for a bit, their meaning dawning on Hally. She looked back to Meta Knight, then back at the older sister of Nightmare.

"You really think... it could work?" Midnight nodded.

"I believe it can. And. It won't hurt to try."

"Alright." Hally and Nazuri moved aways a bit, Hally clinging onto the hope that maybe this would work. They couldn't really hear what Midnight said, but whatever she did caused another bright light. Then, silence descended again, and Hally went back to Meta Knight.

"Meta?" No answer. Hally bit her lip, and both Nazuri and Midnight hung back, both hoping for their friend that maybe this long shot chance had worked. Hally shook Meta Knight slightly, but there was no reaction.

"Please... you have to be alright." Silence. Hally sighed and stared at the ground. Midnight bit her lip, knowing that she'd failed. Then there was a small groan.

"Jeez, did I get hit by a truck or something?" Hally looked at Meta Knight again, startled. And then she jumped on him- he'd come back after all.

"Meta Knight, you're alright!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Midnight and Nazuri looked on from a distance- knowing that for once, everything was back to normal.

_Okay, so this is the worst chapter yet I fear. But, I lost the original, and I couldn't really remember much of it. But at least this story's over. Sorry to all my fans who've waited patiently since January and just got rewarded with crap. I really hate to leave you with this example of writing that goes back to my Cars days when the crap style was my thing. Anyways, please don't judge me based on this. I'm trying to get into the Pokemon fandom now, which means I may have a new Pokemon story out soon based on Team Galactic and a character of my own creation. Not in this section, of course. But, until next time._

_Thunder's Girl (BRR56)_


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